“When we understand what motivates a cat’s behavior, we understand what to expect from a cat as a human companion and a companion to other cats in the confinement of our homes.”
-Dr. Liz Bales, Cats: In Crisis
What is Inappropriate Feline Elimination (House Soiling)
Inappropriate elimination, also known as “house soiling”, is defined as a feline urinating or defecating in areas within the home outside of their designated elimination areas. Feline elimination issues can be a frustrating problem for pet owners to resolve. The success of managing house soiling depends on the cat and the family’s commitment to resolving it. Unfortunately, many people waste time and effort on the wrong approach.
Cats don’t eliminate outside of their designated spot just for spite. Cats use urine and feces as a way to communicate. Cats that feel pain, discomfort, frustration, or anxiety may begin to change their litter box habits. Using correction methods like yelling, hitting, kicking, spraying, scruffing, or rubbing the cat’s face in the mess is completely ineffective. Cats cannot make the connection between this treatment and the mess, even moments after the unwanted behavior is witnessed. This type of discipline causes fear and stress, and is likely to make the problem much worse (1).
One of the top reasons for cats being turned outside, surrendered, or even euthanized is unwanted behavioral issues. Inappropriate elimination (house soiling) being at the very top of that list. Intact cats are at greater risk for this unwanted behavior. Hormonal motivations to mark territory are strong and must be removed from the picture (2). Diabetes, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, urinary tract infection, bladder stones, cancer, and many other health conditions can also be a cause for a cat to suddenly change their litter box habits. For the purpose of this article, I am going to assume the cat has been spay or neutered and that it has already been seen by a licensed vet to rule out any and all health issues.
So What DOES Cause a Cat to Eliminate Outside of the Litter Box?
With feline elimination issues, the cause behind the unwanted behavior typically falls into one of two categories: Medical or Environmental. Assuming the cat in question is spay or neutered, has received a thorough veterinary examination to rule out all medical conditions and has a clean bill of health, the first step in working to correct a cat that is house soiling is to evaluate the litter box and litter situation. The goal is to make this designated space to eliminate as desirable to the cat as possible.
As a rule of thumb, it is recommended that you have one litter box available for every cat in your household plus one additional box. Some cats may prefer to urinate in one box and defecate in another.
These boxes should be cleaned regularly. That means not just scooping excrement once or more a day, but also disinfecting the tray and completely replacing the litter each week. A cat is unlikely to use a dirty litter box.
If you have other pets in the home, it is important to ensure your cat is not being cornered or bullied while trying to eliminate, or while trying to exit the tray. If a cat has a bad experience, in the future it may associate the fear, anxiety, or discomfort with the box and avoid using it. This is called litter box aversion.
Litter boxes should be located in quiet areas of the home. Each litter box should be placed in a different location. Litter trays located in a busy or loud part of the home may cause litter box aversion.
A cat should be able to enter or exit their box with ease. It’s important to keep in mind the number of stairs a cat has to climb, or how high they need to step in order to enter and exit the box, especially with elderly or arthritic cats.
Cats need plenty of space to eliminate. It’s instinct for them to dig around and cover what they deposit. Your kitten or cat needs lots of room to do all of that! A litter box should be approximately one and a half times the size of the cat and filled with approximately two inches of their preferred type of litter (3).
Litter boxes with hoods or enclosures may seem ideal for limiting litter tracking, but some cats may prefer to eliminate in a more open space.
Some cats prefer soft surfaces to eliminate (ex: dirty clothes pile, bathroom rug, child’s blanket, dog bed). In this case, you can try adding another litter box to the home, but filling it with a softer type of litter (ex: sand, finely ground clumping clay litter, puppy pee pad).
If your cat has a tendency to eliminate on hard surfaces (ex: hardwood floor, bathroom tile, concrete), you can try lining their litter box with a similar material or puppy or pad, and only using a thin layer of their preferred cat litter.
Last, and certainly not least, stress can be a major contributing factor for house soiling in cats. This is one of a few reasons why it is highly recommended to always quarantine a new pet for a minimum of one week. This gives the cat plenty of time to acclimate in a safe space before beginning slow and controlled introductions to different rooms within the home, and especially before other furry members of the family are introduced.
What Stressors Can Trigger Feline Elimination Issues?
Cats like predictability. They do not respond well to change. With change, brings stress. If a cat begins to eliminate outside of their litter box, they could be communicating to you that they are unhappy with changes to their living environment. Once you’ve ruled out medical problems, and some of the more common factors we’ve already covered above, then it’s important to evaluate the possibility that your cat may be stressed.
This is not an all inclusive list, but here are some environmental factors that could cause your cat stress, and in turn, feline elimination issues:
The kitten or cat was recently added to your home, but not given a small, quiet space of their own to slowly acclimate (quarantine).
The kitten or cat was released from quarantine before they were ready.
The kitten or cat was introduced to new things too quickly (ex: new food, different brand of litter, family pets, new rooms of the house, human visitors).
A new child, spouse, roommate, or pet was added to the family.
There was a recent loss of a child, spouse, roommate, or pet.
A neighborhood dog or cat is newly visible to, or heard by your feline.
The kitten or cat is experiencing sudden tensions within the home (ex: family arguments, another pet is being a bully).
There was a recent move to a new home or a big change within the current home (ex: new furniture, new curtains, rearranged room in the house).
How to Address House Soiling in Cats
It’s important to address unwanted behavior in cats promptly. The longer an inappropriate behavior like house soiling persists, the more likely it will become a habit.
Aversion therapy and attraction therapy, are two common methods used to help manage unwanted feline elimination behaviors. Aversion therapy is when you attempt to make the area the cat is eliminating less desirable to use. Attraction therapy can be a bit more difficult and at times requires a pet owner to do a little detective work. We covered this topic at length above. It is when you work to make the litter box more desirable for a cat to eliminate compared to other areas within your home that are deemed inappropriate.
Cats have a keen sense of smell and will re-soil spots they have previously left their scent. With aversion therapy, an important first step is to block off access to the spot where the cat is inappropriately eliminating. This could be as simple as closing a door, but it could also require a little more creativeness on the pet owner’s part. Once access to the spot has been successfully blocked off, it is imperative that an odor-neutralizing enzymatic cleaner is used to thoroughly clean it. If the cleaner is not enzymatic, it will not work!
We have tried several products available on the market, and many do it yourself recipes too. After much trial and error, we currently use Ceva’s Urine Away by the makers of Feliway.* When used as per the label’s instructions, enzymatic cleaners like Urine Away successfully neutralize even the more potent and hard to remove scents left by intact cats.
Another method that is sometimes used in conjunction with aversion therapy and attraction therapy, is drug therapy. Drug therapy is when a mild anti-anxiety or anti-depression medication is prescribed by a veterinary doctor to help treat some of the more complex factors contributing to feline elimination issues.
Additionally, there are some holistic therapies that may help to reduce stress and/or marking behaviors. For example, Feliway products use pheromones to help your cat feel more secure and relaxed, which can help reduce stress and urine marking. And Zylkene, a supplement derived from casein, a milk protein that has calming properties, is also used to help reduce environmentally induced stress(4).
In Summary
A common and frustrating problem, house soiling in cats, can be difficult to resolve. Early intervention, proper approach, and owner dedication is key! In partnership with your trusted veterinarian or veterinary behaviorist, house soiling rehabilitation IS possible, allowing you and your pet to have a better quality of life!
References:
Cornell University Veterinary Medicine. “Feline Behavior Problems: House Soiling”. No date (updated January 2015). Retrieved December 27, 2021. https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-behavior-problems-house-soiling
Veterinary Partner. “Inappropriate Elimination Issues (House-Soiling) in Cats” by Wendy Brooks DVM DABVP. Published January 1, 2001. Retrieved December 27, 2021. veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951508
Cats: In Crisis by Dr. Liz Bales. “Barks From The Guild” Issue 44; September 2020. pp. 12-19. Retrieved December 27, 2021. https://issuu.com/petprofessionalguild/docs/bftg_september_2020/12
Just Cats Clinic. “Urinating Outside the Litter Box: What to do when it’s behavioral”. Published June 11, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2021. https://justcatsclinic.com/urinating-outside-the-litter-box-what-to-do-when-its-behavioral/
Additional Sources:
Please Note: Lake View Coons Maine Coon Cattery has no affiliation with the manufacturer of the Urine Away product, and receives no personal benefit, monetary or otherwise, for suggesting it. We simply believe in sharing a good thing when we find it!
